It's easy enough to love Bar Blondeau—one glance at the panoramic views of Manhattan is enough to have us sat. But while some hotel bars may rest on this laurel alone, Bar Blondeau quietly proves that it is not like the rest. Executive chef and partner Aidan O’Neal—who runs Le Crocodile down below and Greenpoint's Chez Ma Tante—sends his orders up to the kitchen, churning out small plates of smoked trout blanketed with shiny pearls of roe and buttery scallops that swim in a lemony, zippy broth, that we would consider swimming in it if we could.
But if you came here just to drink, well, we suppose, that's just as well. The whiskey-based Lucky 7 is a relatively crushable summer drink, with smoked pineapple, lemon and valencia orange, as is the frozen Piña Verde with a blend of rum and a vegetal undertone, thanks to a splash of finocchietto liqueur. If you make it to Sunset Hour at the bar (5-7pm), you can say farewell to the sun with $11 cocktails in hand.